My meditation teaching and practice is rooted in Sangharakshita's presentation of the Dharma, drawing also on the wider Buddhist tradition — especially the Tibetan — as well as Western sources. I aim to teach authentically from the depths of my experience in a way that faithfully honours my sources yet expresses the integrity of my personal process.
I was involved in establishing the London Buddhist Centre and after my ordination I became Chairman. However, during this period, I had a series of ecstatic visionary experiences and decided to dedicate my life to attaining liberation through the practice of meditation and insight. In the early 1980's I moved to the Vajraloka Retreat Centre and began to live a practice oriented lifestyle. Later on, in 1991, I moved to the Padmaloka Retreat Centre and became a member of the Ordination team and a preceptor.
However, I felt a strong calling to engage with meditation in the context of a long retreat. So in 1996 I moved to the Guhyaloka Retreat Centre in Spain for five years and joined a small retreat community dedicated to intensive practice. During this period I was able to engage in meditation, study, reflection and puja in an uninterrupted way. We adopted a simple ongoing programme and spent much of our time in silence. I loved the spectacular views of the rugged wildness and beauty of the surrounding mountains and forest.
I was familiar with Bhante's teaching of the Greater Mandala. The context of this long retreat gave me the opportunity to put this teaching into practice. Over the course of the retreat I was able to bring my meditation and Dharma practice to a much greater level of integration and fruition. Towards the end, I had an important and transformative vision of the wisdom Dakini, Vajrayogini. Illumination arose and I entered into the transmission of the Perfection of Wisdom. This significant insight has continued to deepen and mature over the course of the many years since.
However, I felt a strong calling to engage with meditation in the context of a long retreat. So in 1996 I moved to the Guhyaloka Retreat Centre in Spain for five years, joining a small community dedicated to intensive practice. We spent much of our time in silence, and I loved the spectacular wildness and beauty of the surrounding mountains and forest.
This retreat gave me the opportunity to put Bhante's teaching of the Greater Mandala into practice. Over its course I was able to bring my meditation and Dharma practice to a much greater level of integration and fruition. Towards the end, I had an important and transformative vision of the wisdom Dakini, Vajrayogini. Illumination arose and I entered into the transmission of the Perfection of Wisdom — an insight that has continued to deepen and mature over the many years since.
I returned to the UK in 2001 and started leading Order meditation retreats in various Buddhafield locations. In 2004 I began holding Order retreats at Vajrakuta, my home in North Wales. The shrine-room was impressive with a large statue of Padmasambhava and eight colourful Tibetan Thangkas. The sadhana-pujas with elaborate offerings and musical accompaniment were always a highlight!
In 2012 I began to lead retreats at most of the major retreat centres in the UK as well as in Spain and Finland, exploring Anapanasati, Satipathana, the Seven-point mind training, the Heart Sutra, and Sadhanas including Padmasambhava, Vajrasattva and Vajrayogini. With formless meditation we explored the nature of mind drawing on the Tibetan traditions of Mahamudra and Maha Ati.
I returned back to the UK in 2001 and started leading Order meditation retreats in various Buddhafield locations. Then in 2004 I began holding Order meditation retreats at Vajrakuta, my home in North Wales where I lived with my partner, Srisambhava. The shrine-room was impressive with a large statue of Padmasambhava and eight colourful Tibetan Thankhas. I led retreats on the Tharpe Delam Mula Yogas, various Sadhanas as well as formless meditation. The sadhana-pujas with elaborate offerings and musical accompaniment were always a highlight!
In 2012 I began to lead retreats at most of the major retreat centres in the UK as well as in Spain and Finland. These retreats were held on the various aspects of the System of Meditation. The themes included Anapanasati, Satipathana, the Seven-point mind training, the Heart Sutra, and various Sadhanas including Padmasambhava, Vajrasattva and Vajrayogini. With the practice of formless meditation we explored the nature of mind drawing on teachings from the Tibetan traditions of Mahamudra and Maha Ati.
The integration of Buddhism and western culture has been an important emphasis in my approach of making the Dharma more accessible. Since 2019 I have been a member of the retreat team at the Adhisthana Centre presenting the life and work of the poet, artist and visionary, William Blake. Similarly, the integration of the spiritual with the psychological is also very important. Besides William Blake, I have also had a long term interest in the life and work of Carl Jung. In 1991, I completed a training in Psychosynthesis psychotherapy and this is a formative influence on both my practice and teaching.
Over the years, my teaching of meditation has matured significantly. I developed an integrated and comprehensive approach to Dharma practice that I taught during two, three week retreats at Vajraloka during 2021 and 2022. This approach is entitled: Entering the Mandala — the Four Great Stages of the Path. In 2022 I also gave two talks at Adhisthana entitled Encountering the Lord of Death. This led to my joining the team for the retreats at Adhisthana on the Bardo Thodol, or Tibetan Book of the Dead. Since then I have given several presentations on the Root Verses of the Six Bardos.
Many of these talks were recorded and you will find the recordings here on this website. In 2019 I gave an important set of four talks on Sadhana at the Order Convention at Wymondham College. The talks present the System of Spiritual Practice as a Mandala of Awakening for the first time. I continued to develop the theme of Sadhana, and in 2024 I gave a set of six talks at Adhisthana describing my personal approach and entitled Entering the Mandala: The Path of Sadhana Practice.
Prakasha, Spring 2026